Latino Daily News

POLL: Support for Continuing Affirmative Action at Record Low

A new poll by NBC News and the Wall Street Journal shows record low support for the continuation of affirmative cction. This poll comes at a time when the Supreme Court is debating the issue as it relates to college admissions.

Only 45 percent of Americans feel that affirmative action programs are needed anymore with the equal number of Americans feeling those programs discriminate against whites.

Affirmative action often refers to programs that “equal” out the playing field in terms of education, employment and other key opportunity arenas. Affirmative actions programs were created in the effort to correct disadvantages certain minorities have in order to advance. In 1961 then President John F. Kennedy signed law mandating the U.S. government implement affirmative action in all governmental policies.

It was back in 1991 when an overwhelming majority (61%) of Americans favored and supported affirmative action. One of the key reason given for the decline in support according to NBC News is “diversity fatigue” and the election of the country’s first African-American president.

The poll also disclosed stark differences amongst Democrats and Republicans in their support for affirmative action. 67 percent of Democrats support it while only 22 percent of Republicans support the program.

Meanwhile minorities, those benefitting the most from the affirmative action programs, are in favor. Eight in 10 African-Americans are in favor while six in 10 Latinos favor it.